Kia Soul Concepts

One-upping Scion?

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Kia showed off three versions of its Soul concept at Geneva, each of them dressed quite radically to have its own identity. Or, rather, to give future buyers ideas for what will be possible in accessories with the upcoming production version (which will make its entrance at the Paris show in September), of which these three are closely related.

The original Soul concept was designed at Kia's California design center for the 2006 Detroit show. The Souls at Geneva, though wild in their paint and interior execution, are toned down from the original Soul, the vehicle now looking far more production-ready. These three concepts come from Kia's European design team.

The Kia Soul Diva looks like it would be perfect for someone like Paris Hilton — flashy, gaudy, trying to attract attention. Kia says it was created "as a fashion accessory for a style-conscious young-at-heart woman who regards her car to be as important as her entire outfit." The interior of the Diva is a world of black, white and gold, with leather and glitter galore. The seats are upholstered in glossy black imitation leather using "quilted stitching" to simulate sofas. Overhead is a full-length glass panoramic roof. And there's no way you can miss the Diva's 19-in. gold-finished alloy wheels.

Kia calls the Soul Burner "the bad boy" of the trio — a show-off complete with dragon tattoos. The exterior is primarily black, with a few traces of red, such as on the wheels, mirrors and lower air intake. Inside, the Burner has four individual sport seats; but what's unique here is that the top half of the cabin is trimmed in red, while the lower portion is all black, except for the center console, air vents, gearshift and door handles, which are finished in black chrome. This is the one we'd want to drive, as it's by far the sportiest of the three.

The final Soul concept, the Searcher, is intended to provide "a haven of tranquility within the urban jungle, a comfort-zone on four wheels," according to Kia. It's all about finding your inner peace, you know, your happy place. As such, the Searcher uses lots of "old, lived-in leather," but not just on the dashboard, door panels and steering wheel, but also on the hood, folding roof and the tailgate panel.